5 th ESRC RM Festival ‘ Feminism Counts ’ University of Oxford

1. 5th ESRC RM Festival‘Feminism Counts’University of Oxford Quantitative methods and the analysis of inequalities in unpaid domestic work. Tracey Warren, School of Sociology and Social Policy

2. Research focus How sociologists research the gender division of unpaid domestic work (UDW). Make invisible work visible Recognition ‘Three r’ framework, established by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP, New York) ‘recognition, redistribution and reduction’ (Elson 2008).

3. Unpaid domestic work Sociologies: of paid work, including emotional labour of caring /of the family e.g. Finch (1989) who gives what to whom and why?/duty, obligation and responsibility/proper thing to do - ethical and moral dimension/negotiation of work-family responsibilities/ ‘doing gender’ (and class and…) via domestic practices - cultural meaning of domestic practices/allocations and expectations/fluidity of practices - potential for change/tensions existing between change and continuity

4. Focus Four (or more?) areas of concern for sociology: domestic work practices (who does what work); relationships (work for, from and with whom); negotiations (how); Meanings (of DW, for those carrying out domestic work, and others).

5. Quantitative data on UDW? ‘recognising’ UDW necessitates embedding questions into large scale surveys. Systematic variations (such as by gender, class, ethnic group, age, nation and so on), as well as changes (and continuities) over time Dearth of UDW data – e.g. ECHP: how respondents define their own main working status (with housewife/carer as an option); carry out unpaid housework/care? for how many hours. 39 variables on employment, four on unemployment, fifteen on searching for work, twelve on previous jobs, thirty-one on training and education.

6. Why quants and is it do-able? Advantages of secondary analysis of large data-sets are well recognised e.g. multiple researchers large numbers of respondents sub-group comparisons representative What might we want to find out? What data are out there already? Gaps?

7. DW Practices What tasks do you carry out? How long do these tasks take? What is the tempo or pace of the work? Is it leisurely or rushed? Task completion. When are the tasks carried out? Where are the tasks carried out? What else is the person doing as they carry out that task? Complex tasks e.g. unpaid planning work and mental activity / provision of emotional support/crisis: what if scenarios? Responsibility.

10. DW Relationships Relationships between those who are doing the work and those for whom the work is being done. ‘Who does what for whom?’ reflects Finch’s (1989) work into domestic transfers that asked ‘who gives what to whom?’. What do respondents receive from others (or what work others do for them) Who is present when jobs are carried out: ‘with whom’.

12. DW Negotiations How is it achieved: ‘working it out’ (Finch 1989). Are commitments/responsibilities for domestic tasks defined, negotiated and agreed/disputed? How are standards agreed and set, if at all? Is the domestic work managed and processed? How? For example, is this on a day to day or week to week basis? Does it involve agreed or delegated job routines, job lists, requests, demands? Are there any negotiations around how practices are worked out?

14. DW Meanings Variables that try to explore subjective experiences raise the most difficult measurement problems in surveys. Views about: The work task itself The doing of domestic work; The division of UDW; The fit between one’s domestic work and the rest of life; The moral meaning of domestic work.

17. Conclusions How to make ‘hidden’ work visible? ‘Recognizing’ is best facilitated by research that (also?) employs large scale survey methods: patterns and trends, diversity Useful though scattered data available Research into ‘every important aspect of who we are and how we live’ (Understanding Society) Multi-methods strategy Well-operationalised multiple indicators for sociological research into UDW.